Japanese Patent Application Publication JP 2003-86141-A proposes a display device, which includes gas discharge tubes disposed side by side, and in which a gas discharge is produced by application of a voltage through external electrodes, whereby light is emitted from phosphors within the tubes.
Such a display device includes: gas discharge tubes, each containing a discharge gas and having a phosphor layer therein, two supports contacting and supporting the gas discharge tubes, and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the surfaces of the supports facing the gas discharge tubes for externally applying a voltage to the discharge tubes to cause a discharge to take place within the discharge tubes to thereby provide picture display.